Bard (Jester) and stats

I'm pretty sure I'm late to this one, but I found the search function rather...tedious, so here we go: I've never played a bard before and just coming from IWD2 I constantly get confused about the different D&D rules. I'd like to have a jester in my group, what stats do we need (seeing that he/she's going to be a caster type)? I assume INT does something for a bard, while constitution is pretty much useless if it's above 16? I'd be looking then at a character with high DEX, high INT, and high CHA (=party leader)...Does that sound about right?

Comments

STR and CHA (despite being a bard) are "useless". WIS is useless indeed.

CON is useless above 16 and gives you no bonus or penalty between 7 and 14 - so, in game mechanics, having CON 8 or 13 is pretty much the same, except for Fatigue

INT is useful to learn spells from scrolls, but you don't need to worry about it too much because you can always hoard scrolls to learn only after gulping a Potion of Genius (raises your Intelligence by 4 during 3h) or Mind Focusing (raises Intelligence and Dexterity by 3 during 12h). Those potions are easier to find in Baldur's Gate than in Icewind Dale, so I wouldn't count on it too much.

DEX is useful because raises your Thac0 with missile weapons and lowers your Armor Class (different from D&D3, in AD&D the lower the AC, the better). On top of that is improves your Pick Pocket skill.

Anyway, here's a personal opinion: I would never use a Jester in Icewind Dale. The kitless Bard song is way too powerful to give up for a Confusion one, specially because most of IWD enemies are immune to its effects.

Anyway, here's a personal opinion: I would never use a Jester in Icewind Dale. The kitless Bard song is way too powerful to give up for a Confusion one, specially because most of IWD enemies are immune to its effects.

I find the Confusion effect pretty helpful early game and especially once reached Dragon's Eye.....

Anyway, here's a personal opinion: I would never use a Jester in Icewind Dale. The kitless Bard song is way too powerful to give up for a Confusion one, specially because most of IWD enemies are immune to its effects.

I find the Confusion effect pretty helpful early game and especially once reached Dragon's Eye.....

Early game the save is just too high. And in IWDEE you have lots of enemies, so wasting time singing for a save or suck doesn't looks like a good deal.

And Confusion is great to disable spellcasters not melee warrior - that is the case of many of the enemies in IWDEE.